Turf-cutting device



Nov. 2o, 1928.

H. avygzgEllmE.V TURF CUTTING navrcn Filed Aug. 51. 1926 mms/ron Har/y ,5. Pez/2e M a/w,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

PAT-ENT orifice...

HARRY B. nEANE, or nonnen,y MrcnIGAN.

TURF-CUTTING' DEVICE.

`i Application filed August 31, A1926. `Serial No. 132,721.

AThis invention vrelates torturf or sod cutting f a member devices and the object of the invention is to lprovide afdevice by means of which a small 'fpioceof sodvmay be removed from a lawn` :and` `anewV piece of identically the same size "may be. inserted inplace thereof. This'device is particularly adapted' for use on golf ylinks where holes 'are Vmade in Vthe sod by the use of golf clubs. When la hole has been thus 'made lthe device is vutilizedv to out out the lrportion ofthe sod in which the hole has'been 4 .made and insert a -newpiece of sod'in place thereof. VThe devicecan also be used to vcutv out patches of vwire grass. lweed patches or 'other obnoxious 'growths which ruin the appearance of a lawn. 'A furtherobje'ct of the invei'ition is `to providea devicek which may" be forced Vinto'theturf andv given a rslight' twist to separatethe turf from the subsoil and whenV liftedy 'carries ak portion of fthe' turf with it, the saidl device being pro vided with means for ejecting the turf. `A novel feature of the invention is embodied in the'constru'ction l"whereby portions Vof sod of not only the same diameter but also of the same thickness may be removed or replaced upon each operation of the device. These objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and the preferred form of construction by which these objects are attained is shown in the accompanying drawings in whichv l Fig. vl is an elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a section takenon line 3-3 of Fig. l.

As shownA in Figs. 2 and 3.'the device comprises a thin cylindrical sheet steel cutting member 1 which is tempered and provided with a sharpened lower cutting edgev 15 and the depending ends 2 of a spider 3 are welded to this member l as shown in Fig. 2. The

spider 3, as shown in Fig. 3, is providedl with a hub 4. in which a pipe or tube 5 is brazed or welded at thel lower end. At the upper end the tube 5 is threaded into a union 6 and a pair of arms 7 are threaded into opposite sides of the said union. These arms 7 provide a means for holding the device and are utilized to apply force in cutting the turf and are also-utilized to twist the device to separate the turf from the subsoil. A rod or tube 8 is reciprocably mounted in the pipe 5 and the upper end thereof is threaded into lll positioned' about kthe rod thejscrews ll. The'lower end-.ofthe sai-d rod SleXtends downwardly through the .spider 'and threaded into a member l2 which'is 9 which is secured a head l() by Y riveted to a plunger A13 whi'ch'iits the interior of the cylindrical cutter l. A Vcoiled spring 8 and engages the member l2 at'one Iend and the hub 4l of the .spider at theopposite end.

` lnfoperation vthe'plunger 13 is' normally fheld in the'position kshown in dotted lines in F ig; l by the coiled spring 14', the member 1l engaging the upper end'of the union aud IthusV limiting downward; movement vof the plunger 13. f-lVhen the operator desires to remove af piece'of sod he takes the devicez'bythe'handles with the plunger in the position 'shown in dotted lines in Fig.` l and positions it'over the sod or `turf to be removed and,

-by pressingdown on the handles 7, the {cylinforced 'into the turf as f shown in Fig.4 2' the V.said turfk forcing the plunger drical cutter l is 13upwardly until itstrilres the depending endsQ 'ofthe spider?) thus* limiting upward movement of the plunger 13 and regulating the depth of the cut as'will be tuiderstood from Fig. 2. At this time the device is twistedby means of the handles 7 ywhich. breaks the turf away from the subsoil even with the lower edge 15 of the cylindrical cutter. The device is then lifted by the handles 7 and the piece of turf within the cylindrical cutter lis lifted out with the' cutter. The turf can be then carried in the cutter, as the spring ltis not of suflicient strength to eject the same7 and it may be ejected by forcing down on the head l0. At this time a new piece of sod is cut .by the device and carried to the place where the turf was removed andthe device is positioned again in the same hole and the turf is ejected by forcing down on the head 10 and lifting on the handles 7. This withdraws` the cylindrical cutter from the soil and securely sets the new sod in the place of the old, itbeing usually difficult to see that any sod k.has been removed. It can thus be seen that 1. In a turf cu ting device, a cylindrical; cutter, a spider having depending ends ex-k tending into `the cylindrical cutter and to which the cutter is secured, a tube extending upwardly from the spider, a union threaded onto the upper end oi'the said tube and hav- 1 ing an opening theretl'irough in alignment with the opening of the tube, a pair of arms threaded into opposite sides of the said union and extending at a right angle to the said tube, a rod reciprocably mounted in the tube and extending through the said union, a head on the upper end of the said rod the said rod also extending 'from the lower end of the pipe, a plunger secured to the lower end ot the rod and itting'witliin the cylin-4 drical cutter, `downward movement of the said plunger being limited by said head striking the said union and upward movement olf the plunger beinglimited by strikingthe depending ends o the spider. y

` 2. In a turf cuttingdevice,a cylindrical cutter, a spider secured across the upper end of the cut-ter, a tube secured to the lower end of the said spider, aunion threaded onto the upper end of the said tube and having an opening therethrough in alignment with the opening of the tube, a pair'of arms threaded into the opposite sides of the union and eX- tending horizont-ally therefrom, a rod reciprocaoly mounted in the tube and extending through the said union at the upper end thereof a head on the upper end of the said iod,tlie` said rod also extending from the lower end of the tube, a plunger secured to the lower end of the rod and iitting within the cylindrical cutter, the ends of thespider extending into the cylindrical cutter andliin-V iting upward movement of the said plunger.

3. ln a turf cutting device, a cylindrical cutter, a spider having legs extending downwardly into the cutterfand to which the cylindrical cutter is secured, a tube securedto the spider, the upper end of the tube beingprovided with a pairl of horizontally extendingV handles, a rod reciprocally mounted in the tube and extending `from each Aend thereof, the upper end oi? the rod being provided with a head, a plunger secured to the lower `end of the rod and fitting within the cylindrical cutter beneath the legs of the spider, the legs .et the spider limiting upward movement of ithe plunger and rod.

ln testimony whereof-'I sign this specifica tion. i r

HARRY i3.V DEANE. 

